


Movie Nights

by orphan_account



Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: Doug and Evie aren't dating but they're really good friends, F/F, There's some one sided Evie/Mal at the start, but I think it could work, but in the end it's Jordan/evie, there's a lot of hate watching bad movies with friends, which I know isn't really a ship yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 11:31:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11622636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's not about princes. It never truly was. All a distraction, all smoke and mirrors, first her subconscious tricking her into thinking the untrue was true, into believing that she could finally, finally, live up to her mother, make her proud, if only she seduced a prince. And then it was a cover, a mask for a frightened girl not yet ready to accept the truth, not yet ready to share her beating heart with the people she loved.Mal's been spending all of her time with Ben lately, and Evie misses her. Or: Evie, Doug, Carlos, Jay, and Jordan watch a lot of bad movies together.





	Movie Nights

It's dark. Quiet. Somehow that makes Evie brave. Loosens her tongue, sparks courage to flow like liquid through her veins.

"Have you ever loved someone you know will never love you back?" She asks, words slipping out before she can stop them. Slippery things they are sometimes, racing from thoughts to sound before the mind has decided whether it should speak them or not.

"Is this about one of your princes, Evie? You know they don't deserve you."

"I know." She says quietly.

It's not about princes. It never truly was. All a distraction, all smoke and mirrors, first her subconscious tricking her into thinking the untrue was true, into believing that she could finally, finally, live up to her mother, make her proud, if only she seduced a prince. And then it was a cover, a mask for a frightened girl not yet ready to accept the truth, not yet ready to share her beating heart with the people she loved.

So. It's not about a prince, not this time. It's a girl, this time. It's someone she actually loves, this time.

This time, it's Mal.

"Can I just talk about something? Even if it doesn't make sense?"

"Sure Evie. I'm not going anywhere."

"There's someone I like. And I didn't think I would, I didn't think that it was what I wanted, but really, it's the only person who makes sense. Like everyone else was a lie, a distraction, and they're a breath of fresh air. And I feel like I'm disappointing everyone just by feeling like this, but it's just... It's just me. I'm just me."

"If this is about Doug you should know that I have no problems with that. He'd treat you better than any of the stuck up royalty here would anyway."

"Oh. Yeah. It's him."

* * *

 

Well. She tried. No one could ever say she didn't do that. But Doug was just another denial, another facade to hide behind.

They should have known, both of them. Should have known by how little they wanted to touch each other. By how they enjoyed each other's company, but as soon as the tone turned romantic, it just got awkward, and one of them left.

In the end they quietly agree to just be friends. It clears the air, gives both of them peace. They still hang out, in fact, they hang out more, and, well, Evie knows that if she'd told her younger self that one of her closest friends was the geeky son of one of Snow White's dwarves, she'd be laughed at.

But something between them clicks. Some unspoken understanding, and Evie finds herself hiding laughter in class as Doug sends her another dreadful chemistry pun, and appreciating his opinion on her outfits, even if fashion is the least of his talents.

And the more their friendship develops, the more it annoys her that no one seems to grasp that they're simply platonic friends now. That she cannot tap his shoulder, or hug him, without hearing whispers and seeing smirks. Jay and Carlos seem to understand without her needing to explain, but she can never get Mal alone long enough to convince her. She just winks, then turns back to Ben.

Evie's hate watching some trashy soap opera with Doug late at night, a break from study that lasted far longer than it should have, and stress is beginning to eat her up inside, shred her guts with every beat of her heart.

"You know, it's interesting how good the camera work is in this. Whoever is editing this together has a surprisingly good grasp of visual story-telling-"

"I think I'm in love with Mal."

"Oh."

"I know I said I think, but I'm sure of it. I really am. And I feel terrible, because I knew before and just tried to hide it and it started screwing with me, and then I messed with you when I shouldn't have, not when I knew I probably didn't like guys to begin with, and-"

"It's ok Evie."

She can feel warmth on her face, and her mind is too distracted to work out whether it's flushed embarrassment or just tears, so she just shakes her head, doesn't reply.

Doug shuffles closer, slings a supportive arm around her, and she's definitely crying now, sobbing, and she just, just can't stop.

"It's not a bad thing what you're feeling."

"I know." She shakes out. "I know, I know."

"There's a lot of people who feel the same."

"I know. It just hurts, right now."

He hugs her tighter, and it's dark, and she's crying, but she doesn't feel quite so alone right now, not while Doug's quiet acceptance is buoyant, encouraging.

"If it helps, I think I like Ben."

Evie laughs, and even though the sound has to bubble though wet sobs, it still echoes through her chest, drags her mood upwards.

"We're a matching pair, aren't we?"

He squeezes her shoulder. "Definitely."

* * *

 

Mal is increasingly distant. When she's not with Ben, the conversation is about Ben, and the few cases when it isn't, Evie has to bear through her remarks on how cute she thinks Evie is with Doug. And it just makes everything hurt more. She could deal with her feelings being unrequited, so long as she still had her best friend by her side. But the Mal she knew is fading away, and she's not sure who is rising to replace her.

Evie finds herself, more and more, with Doug, Jay and Carlos, and Mal never there, always too busy, always finding event after event to attend. And Evie loves the boys, she really does, but she can't help but miss the girl she'd considered her best friend for so many years. They're watching some D-list cowboy movie, and all Evie can hear is the faint echo of Mal's biting remarks, the sharp absence of her sarcasm.

The heroine is on screen, long hair blowing in the wind as smoke curls from her still hot gun, and there's a strength in her poise, the set of her jaw, that Evie more than admires. And Doug catches the expression on her face and nudges her teasingly, and Carlos and Jay are far from stupid, and they catch on so fast Evie could've thought the wide grins had always been etched on their faces.

"Evie's got a crush~" Carlos sings far too loudly, and she scrambles to shush him, but all three are ready to sing, to tease her for hours, and the only thing Evie can do is accompany their singing with her embarrassed groans, burying her head in her hands as her friends laugh.

And it's funny. Technically they're laughing at her, but there's no malice in it, and even though Evie feels embarrassed beyond belief, she still feels warm, feels safe, accepted.

And yet- and yet. Mal isn't here. Mal doesn't know. Mal might not want to know. And even if Evie has friends behind her, she's still scared of Mal knowing, just as she's scared that she'll never get Mal back to join them, that she gained a close friend in Doug only to lose Mal.

* * *

Evie knows Jordan, of course. But in a bit of a distant way, an "I know your name and we'd say Hi whenever we see each other but we're only just friends" kind of way.

But they're put together on a presentation for a subject Evie is determined to do well in, and so she finds herself just about camping out in Jordan's room most afternoons. Jordan seems to appreciate her passion, and her casual acceptance of magic, and soon they have a system that works. Jordan magics up afternoon tea while Evie sorts out her colour coded notes, and they soon speed through the research, and then the writing, and before Evie can blink they are practicing their presentation.

And then they're just about finished entirely, but Evie still finds herself swinging around to Jordan's room after classes, telling herself that it's just so that they can work through homework together, or just because she's never tasted tea better than the kind Jordan creates with a simple snap of her fingers.

"Do you think if I use my powers to make enough doughnuts to feed the whole class I won't have to hand this Chemistry worksheet in?" Jordan says, sighing dramatically as she lets the aforementioned sheet fall to the ground.

"You'll probably just get another speech from the fairy godmother on the dangers of gateway magic instead." Evie replies, picking up the sheet and examining it.

Jordan bursts out laughing, the sound echoing in Evie's ears, and Evie finds herself volunteering to show her how to complete it, and Jordan refuses to accept the trade unless she can in turn help with the essay Evie has to write for English. And just like that, so simply, so naturally, they find a balance.

* * *

Jay has chosen an antique sci-fi film for their now regular movie night, promising that it was an under-rated classic they'd all enjoy.

Mal is absent once more, same as always, but this time Evie invited Jordan over. She's kinda nervous about it, in a way she can't quite dissect. She'd like to think they're friends now, but it's still fresh, still young, and she's almost frightened that she'll lose that friendship before it really became anything.

But Jordan shows up on time, with a bag full of store bought snacks, having apparently decided against using magic this time. She smiles at Evie, and with breezy ease soon has them all wrapped up in a discussion on theories for the latest movie in a series they all seem to like.

There's something about her that just... Fits. She shouldn't match their unconventional group as well as she does, from groaning good-naturedly at Doug's terrible puns to joining them in teasing Jay's movie choice. Fits in well enough, even, that the boys forget she's new. Forget long enough for Doug to nudge her as the female sheriff strolls on screen, stage whispering "do you think she's cute?" And laughing as Evie blushes.

But Jordan is looking on curiously, and Evie's heart just about stops. Doug follows her gaze, and immediately his face pales, and he looks nothing short of mortified, and, well. By that point there's nothing any of them can do to deny it.

But there's a softness in Jordan's expression. A gentle smile. "She is pretty, isn't she?" Is all she says, but it's enough to set Evie's heart beating.

* * *

It starts slow. Step by step. They're acquaintances, then they're friends, and then, bit by bit, Jordan becomes part of the group. It brings Evie back, in ways, to the way she felt back on the Isle. Only it's five instead of four. Only Mal is no longer there.

And she knows. She knows she's obsessing over Mal still. Even if it's not because she likes her, but because she misses her. Because she'd always seen Mal as the one person who would never leave her, who would be by her side, no matter what.

And Jordan's not a replacement, not a salve for the wound that is Mal's absence. It might be easier if she was, might just make the pain of lost friendship ease somewhat. But she's not. She's just Jordan.

They're watching another movie, Evie's choice this time, and it's more early morning than late night now, and all the boys have already succumbed to slumber by now. But Jordan is just as vibrant as ever, whispering light hearted criticisms of the film into Evie's ear, keeping an eye on their sleeping friends to make sure she doesn't prematurely wake them.

And it's almost too much. She's still so considerate, intent on not disturbing the boys, even if it's Friday and they have no plans tomorrow, and even making sure she doesn't say anything too harsh about the movie, having already discovered it's one Evie loves, even with all its faults. Still, still, her wit is biting, and Evie finds herself desperately smothering laughter, petrified of being the one to wake her friends up after all the effort Jordan has gone through to let them sleep in peace.

* * *

"So, where is Mal?" Jordan finally asks one afternoon.

It's not like Evie hadn't anticipated the question, hadn't seen it as inevitable. But it still hurts, just a little, to know that everyone else has noticed her absence too.

"She's with Ben." Evie replies, her answer that touch harsher than it should be.

"Sorry, I hadn't realised it was a touchy topic."

"No it's fine. You're fine. I think I'm just mad at her more than anything, for leaving us." Evie breathes in, slow, as controlled as she can manage. It helps quell the panic, ease her heartbeat. Helps, of course, but doesn't cure it, doesn't stop her from feeling closer to panicking than she'd like to be. "Like, I'm aware that I shouldn't be so clingy, but she's never here. We used to be so close, and I know she has to change as time goes on, but I can't help but feel like I helped drive her away."

And all the breathing exercises mean little now, not when she feels like her heart has been laid on the table for all to see, and why did she say this to Jordan, why was she so stupid, why-

"It's not your fault Evie." Jordan says, her voice steady enough that the sound of it eases some of the fear rising in her heart. "She's probably just distracted by everything that's new and changing in the world. Give it time, and she might come back."

Jordan edges closer to her, wraps her in a loose side-hug, rubbing her arm to comfort her.

"Did you love her?" Jordan asks quietly. There's no judgement in her tone, no condescension, so Evie gives up, and nods.

"I used to. Before. Before she left us. And I'm, I'm scared that she knew, that I freaked her out, and that's why she left, and-"

"Evie." Jordan starts calmly, laying a hand on one side of her face and forcing her to look at her. "Evie. If she couldn't deal with that, than she's not a good friend. And you really shouldn't tear yourself apart because of something like that. It's not worth it. Not when there's other people around who care about you."

Evie nods. Short, sharp. It's all she can manage when she feels so delicate. Delicate, but not broken. Stronger really, than she's ever been before. And the thing is, it still hurts, But she has Doug, has Carlos and Jay, and Jordan now, beside her, whose warmth is anchoring, the steady rock in a turbulent ocean.

* * *

The boys are late to movie night that Friday. Doug actually messaged them earlier, saying he had an assignment he needed to finish, but would be there in an hour, but Carlos and Jay didn't even manage to do that.

It's Jordan's turn to choose the movie, and really, they could have started without them, but it doesn't feel right.

Jordan's telling her more intricate details about coffee than Evie thought could exist, and she can no longer remember how they got to that topic to begin with, but there's a spark of deep-seated passion lurking in Jordan's eyes that Evie kind of loves, so she's more than happy to listen.

Until Jordan's voice falters, and she's dragged back into reality, to find Jordan staring at her, head tilted, examining her curiously.

"What's wrong?" Evie asks, feeling like someone has cast a spell on her heart, turned it into a frog, for the way it keeps jumping erratically in her chest.

"You've been looking at me funny."

And now Evie wishes her heart really was a frog, that it could climb up her throat and leave her to die.

And now, now she can feel her face flushing, and she really wishes that she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve like this, her body language more than easy to read.

And, and. It may not have been her fault that her relationship with Mal crumbled, but this definitely is. And the last thing she wants to do is have to explain to the others why Jordan left, how she drove her away because it seems like she can't help but form crushes on her friends.

But Jordan's fingers are underneath her chin, making Evie look at her again, and she's smiling, and moving closer, slow, slower than slow, millimetre by millimetre, and Evie has chance after chance to movie away, but she dares to hope instead, and then Jordan's lips are on hers, and she feels like her chest might just ignite from the feeling.

And then Carlos and Jay burst into the room, loud enough that they can jump apart before they notice.

"This had better be a good movie, Jordan!" Jay calls out, throwing himself down beside Evie.

"Can you wait until it starts to judge it?" Carlos shouts back at him, and Evie laughs at them. Jordan's warm by her side, and she smiles at Evie briefly before joining the argument.

* * *

It doesn't take them long to notice. And it's not like Evie intended to keep it a secret, but maybe she wanted to avoid the inevitable teasing.

But the thing is, as relentless as the teasing is, none of it is hurtful, and she can tell that they are happy for her, happy to see her moving forward.

Doug in particular grins the widest, and she knows he still remembers vividly how she far she has come in just a few months.

And, after everything, it strikes her how easy it is now, sitting here laughing at some awful movie with her friends, knowing that a few years ago she could never have predicted where she'd end up, who she'd care for.

* * *

Then Mal comes back, for a while. She had some fight with Ben, and now that he's no longer monopolising her time, Mal is actually spending time with her again. Which would be good, if it didn't feel so awkward. Mal seems to believe that nothing could have changed in her absence, that she could just come back and everything would be exactly the same. But it can't. Not when Evie feels like she has changed so much, that being so close with Doug, with Jordan, has made her someone different.

She's texting Jordan, who is surprisingly fond of sappy texts, and it might be lame, but Evie can't keep the grin off her face.

But Mal leans over to talk to her just as "I miss you" flashes onto the screen, and now it's Mal who's grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"I see you and Doug are getting along well." She says, teasingly, and Evie just frowns.

"It's not Doug." She says. She's gotten to the point where she no longer quite cares. "We've been broken up for months now."

Mal looks confused. There's something flashing in her eyes, like she's only now realising how long it's been since she last had a proper conversation with Evie, since she hung out with Carlos and Jay.

"Huh. I thought you guys worked together so well though. Did something happen?"

Evie breathes in deep. Exhales slowly. Puts her phone down, looks at Mal.

"I don't like guys, Mal."

"Oh."

And, well. Evie thought she didn't care, before.

She was wrong. She does care. Maybe Mal hasn't been around lately, but she's still her friend. She was her best friend for so many years, supported her through so much. And she is, still, scared of losing her.

"You know I don't mind, right?"

"I do now."

Mal seems to sense that she needs it, and she envelops Evie in a hug, and Evie lets herself fall loose in her grip. Relaxes a little. She's still feeling the effects of mental whiplash, but the fact that she's here with Mal after everything, sets her at ease.

"I guessing I'm a little out of the loop on what's been going on?" Mal whispers.

"Oh you are so out of the loop you have no idea." Evie replies, and Mal laughs.

* * *

They let Mal choose, next Friday. She's promised not to abandon them again like she had before, and the promise is enough for them to agree on giving her the choice.

It's a decision Jay promptly regrets when the movie Mal insists on is some feel-good sports movie that he despises, and everyone else just laughs at his complaints.

It's easy to tell, still, that his grumpy mood is all for show, especially when he keeps glancing at Mal, like he doesn't quite believe she's back.

And here's the thing: Evie can barely believe it either. It feels like a cruel delusion, like her mind is latching onto her desire to see her again. Like the Mal in front of her has been knitted from dreams, but she is solid and real, sitting with her friends, joking with Jordan over terrible dialogue.

And maybe Mal made some mistakes. Maybe she hurt them without realising, but she's here now. And she's not about to abandon them for a handsome prince like she did before. And yeah, maybe it took longer than it should have, and maybe things were more painful than they ought to have been, but none of that matters now, not while they're together.

**Author's Note:**

> Would you guys believe me if I said that I originally thought this would be only around 300 words?
> 
> I haven't managed to see descendants 2 yet but I've heard all the songs, and they're all so good so I'm pretty excited.


End file.
